Misplaced Pages

#769230

80-570: The intent to build the temple was announced by church president Gordon B. Hinckley on August 7, 2002. The temple is the first in New York City and is one of two in the state of New York–the other being the Palmyra New York Temple . The temple was designed by Frank Fernandez, using a modern architectural style. A groundbreaking ceremony, to signify the beginning of construction was held on September 23, 2002, conducted by Spencer J. Condie,

160-570: A chapel, cultural hall, baptismal font, and classrooms on the third floor. The temple currently occupies part of the first floor and all of the building's fourth, fifth, and sixth floors. (Originally, prior to renovations announced in 2006, it occupied part of the first and second floors and all of the fifth and sixth floors, but none of the fourth floor, which floor had housed offices of the New York New York Stake since 1975.) The insides of these floors were completely renovated. Previously,

240-462: A church general authority . The announcement of a temple to be built in New York City was made on August 7, 2002, and received widespread news coverage. Previously, on March 24, 2002, at a special regional conference broadcast from Manhattan to surrounding stakes and districts, Hinckley stated that he expected a temple to be built in the area in the next two years. It was widely assumed that this

320-576: A handkerchief used during the dedication ceremony, and sheet music, were placed within the cornerstone. The church commissioned organbuilder Sebastian M. Glück to design and build a new pipe organ for the New York Stake Center chapel in 2004. Tabernacle Organist Clay Christiansen collaborated in the design. This was Mr. Glück's first instrument built with slider-and-pallet windchests, a departure from his usual electro-pneumatic Pitman actions. The starkly modern instrument stands front and center in

400-434: A public affairs office as well as a small distribution center and multiple-use room. During later renovations to the third floor meetinghouse space, the chapel windows, which had previously allowed in natural light but were sealed off during temple construction, were opened up again to allow in natural light through the art glass windows. In 2010, the exterior of the temple was modified to add stone-clad support columns along

480-635: A revelation to Smith stated that "it must needs be that one be appointed of the high priesthood to preside over the Priesthood and he shall be called President of the high priesthood of the Church... and again the duty of the President of the high priesthood is to preside over the whole church". Smith was ordained to that position and sustained by the church on January 25, 1832, at a conference in Amherst, Ohio . In 1835,

560-429: A title that was originally given to Smith. When the name of the president is used by adherents, it is usually prefaced by the title " President ". Russell M. Nelson has been the president since January 14, 2018. Latter-day Saints consider the church's president to be God's spokesman to the entire world and the highest priesthood authority on earth, with the exclusive right to receive revelations from God on behalf of

640-473: A youth fireside, was Dave Checketts . Hinckley dedicated the Manhattan New York Temple in four dedicatory sessions on Sunday, June 13, 2004. As part of the first dedicatory session, a special cornerstone laying ceremony was held, during which a time capsule containing memorabilia from New York, such as a copy of The New York Times and other church-related items, including a set of scriptures,

720-435: Is approximately 20,630 square feet (1,917 m) and the temple houses two progressive endowment ordinance rooms on the fifth floor and two sealing rooms on the sixth floor, along with a baptismal font on the main floor. Uncommon to some temples with two progressive ordinance rooms, the second ordinance room of the temple is perpendicular to the first (due to the building's size limitations). The building's elevator system

800-524: Is found in church scriptures "regardless of the position of the man who says it". Instructions given or positions taken by the president of the church can be changed by a future president of the church because of the Latter-day Saint belief in " continuing revelation ". It is accepted that a church president will occasionally revise or clarify instructions of past church presidents. Church apostle Ezra Taft Benson counseled to "beware of those who would pit

880-416: Is unique, in that it is designed to service generally public floors for Sunday worship services and temple-only areas when the temple is in operation on other days of the week. The Manhattan New York Temple was dedicated in four sessions on June 13, 2004, by Hinckley. The building has a modern architectural style, coupled with a traditional Latter-day Saint temple design. The architectural work reflects both

SECTION 10

#1733084653770

960-666: The Gospel of John are also interpreted as the Water of Life . The term is also used when water is poured during Baptismal prayers , praying for the Holy Spirit, e.g., "Give it the power to become water of life". The reference to Water of Life in Revelation 21:6 appears in the context of New Jerusalem and states: The Revelation reference is interpreted as the Holy Spirit . The Catechism of

1040-583: The Tree of Life in 22:2 , 22:14 and 22:19 . John R. W. Stott relates this theme to Eternal Life in John 17:3 : "And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, Jesus Christ". In the Gospel of John some references to water, as in John 4:15, are traditionally identified as the Water of Life being the Holy Spirit. The passages that comprise John 4:10–26 , and relate

1120-481: The road to Emmaus . Also on the main floor is the baptistry, where vicarious baptisms are performed. Above the baptismal font is a large mural showing the waters of the Jordan River flowing down toward the font. The fifth floor of the temple contains patron changing areas, a small chapel (which initially served as temple office space), and endowment ordinance rooms. The first endowment ordinance room (representing

1200-485: The "Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ" were revised, changing the phrase "an... elder of the church" to "the first elder of this Church". Thus, after 1835, Smith was sometimes referred to as the "First Elder" of the church. The 1835 revision also added a verse that referred to the office of "president of the high priesthood (or presiding elder)", which had since been added to the church hierarchy. In 1844, in jail awaiting trial for treason charges, Joseph Smith

1280-574: The 16th church president, Thomas S. Monson , Russell M. Nelson was ordained and set apart on January 14, 2018, as the church's 17th president. In an unprecedented move, Nelson was introduced as the new church president by D. Todd Christofferson , the senior apostle on the Church Public Affairs Committee on January 16, 2018, in a broadcast originating from the annex of the Salt Lake Temple . Nelson then introduced his counselors and

1360-710: The Catholic Church , item 1137, considers it "one of most beautiful symbols of the Holy Spirit". The common theme of thirst for the Water of Life in the Book of Revelation and the Gospel of John may be summarized as follows: The use of the term Water of Life in Revelation 20 is part of the "theme of life" in the book of Revelation, other instances being the Book of Life in Revelation 21:27 , and

1440-523: The Celestial Room extends two stories and incorporates an upper-level balcony (which is non-accessible to patrons) that maximizes a sense of open vertical space. Above the balcony arches and art glass windows, on each of the room's walls, are four round abstract starburst windows. The sixth floor of the temple has a long hallway and an open stairwell that lead to two sealing rooms, each of which contains two faux art glass windows similar to (but not exactly

1520-552: The Church (LDS Church) The President of the Church is the highest office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was the office held by Joseph Smith , the church's founder. The church's president is its leader and the head of the First Presidency , its highest governing body. Latter-day Saints consider the president of the church to be a " prophet, seer, and revelator " and refer to him as "the Prophet",

1600-480: The Columbus Avenue-side arcade. In early 2011, the sidewalk space between the support columns and the temple proper was upgraded to incorporate a series of stylized granite beehive medallions matching in appearance those found elsewhere within the temple. The local temple committee, under the direction of general authority Glenn L. Pace , and later David R. Stone, was headed by Brent J. Belnap, president of

1680-472: The First Presidency were never ordained to the office of apostle, such as Charles W. Nibley and John R. Winder . Whether or not a counselor in the First Presidency is an ordained apostle, he is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Counselors are designated "First Counselor in the First Presidency" and "Second Counselor in the First Presidency", based on the order of being selected by

SECTION 20

#1733084653770

1760-544: The First Presidency. There have also been a few cases of counselors being ordained to the priesthood office of apostle and becoming members of the Quorum of the Twelve after they had been chosen as counselors in the First Presidency, like J. Reuben Clark . There have been other cases of counselors being ordained to the office of apostle but not set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, such as Alvin R. Dyer . Other counselors in

1840-541: The Gospel of John. However, these two discourses in the Gospel of John complement each other to form the theme of "Christ as the Life". According to W. E. Vine , this theme of "Christ as the Life" relates to John 5:26 where Jesus states: "Just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself", reflecting the assertion of Jesus to have the power to give life, based on his relationship to

1920-599: The Lincoln Center. The interior features a large glass mural and several paintings, centered around the celestial room, which is designed to foster a spiritually uplifting environment. The temple includes a baptistry, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms, each designed for ceremonial use. The temple incorporates a variety of symbolic elements that reflect basic doctrinal beliefs of the LDS Church concerning Jesus Christ and his teachings, as well as symbols important within

2000-555: The Nations." It was a two-hour performance including more than 2,400 LDS youth from the area (the largest cast to ever perform on the stage of Radio City Music Hall). In attendance were LDS Church president Hinckley and Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . Master of ceremonies for the jubilee, which was broadcast to surrounding stake centers and was immediately followed by

2080-498: The President of the Quorum of the Twelve before the First Presidency was reconstituted after the death of Joseph Smith. The tradition of waiting for two to three years before selecting a new president continued until the 1898 death of the fourth president of the church, Wilford Woodruff . Since then, the surviving apostles have typically met in the Salt Lake Temple on the Sunday following the late president's funeral, to select and set apart

2160-422: The Quorum 1868), the senior apostle serving in the Quorum. However, on April 5, 1900, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve unanimously decided that the date an individual became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve was the relevant date for succession purposes, not the date an individual was ordained as an apostle. Thus, Joseph F. Smith (ordained apostle 1866 and added to the quorum 1867) became president of

2240-411: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles rejoin it. The Quorum of the Twelve, which may number greater than twelve with the returning members from the First Presidency, then becomes the presiding council of the church, with the senior apostle as its president. (Seniority is determined by the time since joining the Quorum, not by age.) The President of the Quorum of the Twelve becomes the highest-ranking official in

2320-450: The Quorum rather than ordination as an apostle. Young argued that an apostle should not be demoted as long as he is worthy of the position. On March 31, 1900, Snow met with his counselors, Cannon and Smith, and decided to change the policy to gauge seniority based on entrance to the Quorum, rather than ordination as an apostle. Part of the reasoning was the ordination of Brigham Young Jr was done privately by his father, Brigham Young, without

2400-477: The Quorum. On November 23, 1918, Anthon H. Lund , the most senior apostle, was called to serve in the First Presidency. Rather than give up his title as President of the Quorum, as had been done earlier, he maintained his title, and Rudger Clawson was given the title of Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . That pattern is the pattern that is followed today. Following the January 2, 2018, death of

2480-504: The Statue of Liberty torch together with fig or grape leaves and stars. Curved archways above ordinance room doors and mirrors contain design elements specifically adapted from the Salt Lake Temple . On the main (first or ground-level) floor of the temple, directly in front of two interior bronze front doors that incorporate abstract starbursts, is a large art glass mural depicting the resurrected Christ speaking with two of his disciples on

Manhattan New York Temple - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-446: The Twelve Apostles is important, as the senior apostle presides over the Quorum and usually becomes the president of the church after the current president's death. Specific rules have been applied to unusual situations that have arisen over time, including a member being removed from the quorum by disfellowshipment or excommunication and later being restored to the quorum. It was decided that, the removed apostle then loses his seniority in

2640-484: The administration of temple operations and provide guidance and training for both temple patrons and staff. The first president of the Manhattan New York Temple was John R. Stone, with the matron being Helen M. Stone. They served from 2004 to 2007. As of 2024, George K. Nixon is the president, with Patricia A. Nixon serving as matron. On March 6, 2004, the church announced that a public open house would be held from May 8, 2004 to June 5, 2004 (excluding Sundays). The temple

2720-406: The body of the Church". If the doctrine is not accepted by the church as the word of God, members are not bound by it, even if it comes from the President of the Church. Some Latter-day Saints assume that statements made by the president in sermons at a church general conference or other formal church meeting would constitute statements made in the capacity of church president. However, even then,

2800-468: The chapel. On August 28, 2023, the church announced that the temple would close in 2024 for renovations that would take approximately three years. Local congregations who use the meetinghouse within the temple building would be relocated to other meetinghouse spaces in the area during the renovation period. The temple closed for renovations on March 2, 2024. Coverage of the Manhattan Temple open house

2880-426: The church and has always become the next church president. However, the appointment is not made official until the Quorum of the Twelve meets and selects the next president of the church. Since the late 19th century, the Quorum of the Twelve has moved quickly to reconstitute the First Presidency within days or weeks of the late church president's death. However, Brigham Young presided over the church for three years as

2960-460: The church brought before the Common Council was Joseph Smith, who was tried for charges of misbehavior made against him by Sylvester Smith after the return of Zion's Camp in 1834. The Council determined that Joseph Smith had "acted in every respect in an honorable and proper manner with all monies and properties entrusted to his charge". Water of Life (Christianity) In Christianity

3040-518: The church in 1901, since he was the living apostle who had become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve at the earliest date. In another instance, Ezra Taft Benson left active status in the quorum for a time when he was serving as the United States Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower administration . However, Benson did not lose seniority in the Quorum, and he became the president of

3120-527: The church in Manhattan. Like the Vernal Utah Temple, the church adapted an existing stake center building—which stands on the northeast corner of the intersection of West 65th Street , Broadway , and Columbus Avenue , and is across the street from Lincoln Center —into the temple. Converting an existing building instead of constructing from the ground up, as is typical of the church's temples,

3200-536: The church upon the death of Spencer W. Kimball . If the President of the Quorum of the Twelve has been called to be a counselor in the First Presidency, the most senior apostle not in the First Presidency is set apart and referred to as the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . At the death of the president of the church, the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve retains his position in

3280-399: The church's New York New York Stake and assisted by W. Blair Garff (later called as temple president ), Stephen D. Quinn, and others. From May 8 through June 5, 2004, more than 53,000 people toured the temple during the public open house. Church members and non-members alike viewed a 15-minute introductory video and took a 40-minute walking tour through the first, fifth, and sixth floors of

Manhattan New York Temple - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-617: The church's formation on April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith referred to himself as "an apostle of Jesus Christ, and elder of the church". However, there was another apostle , Oliver Cowdery , and several other elders of the church, making the formal hierarchy of the church unclear. In September 1830, after Hiram Page said he had received revelations for the church, a revelation to Smith stated that "no one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., for he receiveth them even as Moses." That established Smith's exclusive right to lead

3440-532: The church. In early June 1831, Smith was ordained to the "high priesthood," along with twenty-two other men, including prominent figures in the church such as Hyrum Smith , Parley P. Pratt , and Martin Harris . As " high priests ", they were higher in the priesthood hierarchy than the elders of the church. However, it was still unclear whether Smith's and Cowdery's callings as apostles gave them superior authority to that of other high priests. On November 11, 1831,

3520-506: The church. The next senior apostle to the president of the church is set apart by the president to be the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . Though there has never been a popular movement in the church to have a president removed or punished, he could theoretically be removed from his position or otherwise disciplined by the Common Council of the Church . The only president of

3600-453: The cultural heritage of New York City and the spiritual significance of the church. The structure stands six stories tall, constructed with light, variegated granite. The exterior is characterized by a steeple and a statue of the angel Moroni . The design uses elements that reflect both local culture and broader church symbolism; it was intended to stand as a symbol of the church while blending in with surrounding New York City landmarks such as

3680-463: The dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence". Not everything said by the prophet is considered to be doctrine. Joseph Smith taught that "a prophet is a prophet only when he was acting as such". When the church president declares new doctrine, "he will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be so accepted by the Council of the Twelve and sustained by

3760-664: The entire church or the entire world. The President of the Church serves as the head of both the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes and the Council of the Church . The President of the Church also serves as the ex officio chairman of the Church Boards of Trustees/Education . The concept that the Church of Christ would have a single presiding officer arose in late 1831. Initially, after

3840-553: The episode of the Samaritan woman are sometimes referred to as the "Water of Life Discourse". The Water of Life Discourse is the second among the seven discourses in the Gospel of John that pair with the seven signs in that gospel. Another discourse, called the Bread of Life Discourse appears in John 6:22–59 . On their own, each of the discourses on the Water of Life and the Bread of Life are key examples of "single theme discourses" in

3920-406: The fifth and sixth floors constituted a second chapel and set of classrooms that were dedicated in 2002, which in turn were adapted from an early gym and sports club built as part of the neighboring apartment complex. The walls of the temple were designed to be soundproof so that the noise of the traffic outside would not interrupt its patrons. The total floor area for the temple part of the building

4000-401: The final years of his presidency and at one point, Brigham Young had eight. Counselors are usually chosen from among the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but there have been a number of exceptions where members of the church's Presiding Bishopric or persons from the church at large were called to be counselors. Any high priest of the church is eligible to be called as a counselor in

4080-472: The first endowment ordinance room and baptismal font murals were painted by Linda Curley Christensen. The temple exterior retains much of the original travertine stone facade. Also on the temple exterior are large art glass panels depicting flowing water. Just before the temple dedication it was announced that a statue of the angel Moroni would be added to the almost-completed steeple in the fall of 2004. On October 9, 2004, several thousand people came to watch

SECTION 50

#1733084653770

4160-542: The head of the church who intends to mislead its members. That is not a statement of belief that they are "infallible" but that their errors will not result in "the permanent injury of the work". Thus, the current prophet can clarify, correct, or change any previous teachings. When a new president of the church is selected, he chooses counselors to assist him. Most presidents have had a minimum of two counselors, but circumstances have occasionally required more than two. For example, David O. McKay had five counselors during

4240-471: The highest seniority, since Kimball had died. When Young died in 1877, Taylor assumed leadership instead of Hyde. Wilford Woodruff , explained in 1879, "Elder Taylor is the oldest in Ordination and that is why he presides today." The First Presidency was dissolved, and the previous members were ordained as counselors to the Twelve. Other men were called to fill the vacancies in the Quorum. When Taylor died,

4320-457: The leadership of the church fell to the Twelve Apostles. Most who were in attendance were persuaded that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles should lead the church and Young was sustained as "the president of the quorum of the Twelve and first presidency of the church," thereby assuming leadership of the church. However, Young was not ordained President of the Church at the time. On December 27, 1847, three-and-a-half years after Smith's death, Young

4400-463: The local community. The temple's design motifs include " living waters ," beehives , olives and olive trees , grapevines , starbursts , and the Statue of Liberty . Even the furniture upholstery tacks incorporate specific symbolic elements ( e.g. , crowns , stars , beehives, etc.). Carved into the medium-stain oak wood panels and molding are beehives, while door handle escutcheon plates incorporate

4480-411: The members voting on the ordination. That put Cannon and Smith ahead of both Brigham Young Jr. and John Willard Young. However, Brigham Young Jr. maintained his position as President of the Quorum. Before Snow died, he instructed Smith not to wait to reorganize the First Presidency, which gave no time to John Willard Young to object. From then on, apostles were not ordained without also being called to

4560-436: The new leadership of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. That introduction was followed with a traditional press conference, which has been typical for new church presidents and their counselors since being originated in 1973 with new church president Spencer W. Kimball . In the LDS Church, when a president of the church dies, the First Presidency is dissolved, and the members of the First Presidency who were formerly members of

4640-407: The next president of the church (that was done in 1973, and described in detail by N. Eldon Tanner to Brigham Young University students in 1978). At the next regularly scheduled general conference , the membership of the church have the opportunity of sustaining their new leader by common consent , at a special conference session referred to as a " solemn assembly ". Seniority in the Quorum of

4720-530: The pattern changed, and the members of the First Presidency rejoined the Quorum based on their seniority. Two years later, Wilford Woodruff was ordained as President of the Church and Lorenzo Snow was the President of the Quorum. When Woodruff died, his counselors returned to the Quorum based on the date they were ordained an apostle, placing George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith below Brigham Young Jr. and John Willard Young . Heber J. Grant objected to that arguing that seniority should be based on ordination to

4800-492: The president may explicitly indicate that he is expressing only a personal opinion. However, individual members of the church may feel cultural pressure to follow suggestions from the president of the church, whether or not they would be considered authoritative. Presidents of the church have taught that God will never allow the president to lead the Latter-day Saints astray and that God will "remove" any man who stands at

4880-411: The president. Additional counselors have been designated in different ways, including "Third Counselor in the First Presidency" (such as Hugh B. Brown ), "Assistant Counselor to the President" (such as John Willard Young ), and simply "Counselor in the First Presidency" (such as Thorpe B. Isaacson ). The president and all his counselors constitute the First Presidency, which is the presiding quorum of

SECTION 60

#1733084653770

4960-476: The quorum and their previous service was not considered when calculating quorum seniority. Later, whether or not an apostle was a member of the Quorum and when the apostle was added as a member of the Quorum became an important factor. For example, following the death of Lorenzo Snow , John Willard Young (ordained 1855 but never in the Quorum) became the senior apostle, and Brigham Young, Jr. (ordained 1864 and added to

5040-432: The quorum's membership, and the President of the Quorum of the Twelve takes his role as President of the Quorum. When the church president is speaking in his official capacity, his words are not considered "infallible". Members of the church are considered not fully justified in their actions if they "blindly" follow the president. The church has counseled its members that they should reject statements that contradict what

5120-414: The quorum. For example, Brigham Young decided that John Taylor was to be President of the Twelve and Wilford Woodruff would follow him in seniority because of the readmission to the quorum of Orson Hyde , who had been disfellowshipped in 1846, and Orson Pratt , who had been excommunicated in 1842. Young ruled in 1875 that when Hyde and Pratt rejoined the quorum, they became the newest junior members of

5200-503: The same as) those found in the Celestial Room. The walls of the Celestial Room and the two sealing rooms are finished in cream Venetian plaster . All interior art glass windows were created by Utah-based artist Tom Holdman . All are backlit to preserve a quiet atmosphere devoid of city traffic distractions. Hallway walls have original works of art by landscape artists depicting scenes from nature as well as other artwork prints commonly found in other church temples and meetinghouses . Both

5280-408: The senior surviving member of the church's First Presidency , argued there could be no successor to the deceased prophet and that he should be made the "Protector" of the church. Brigham Young opposed that reasoning and motion, as Smith had earlier recorded a revelation, which stated the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was "equal in authority and power" to the First Presidency, so Young claimed that

5360-473: The temple and that the stake center for the New York New York Stake would be moved to a new location on East 87th Street. This work was completed in August 2007. The temple baptistry continues to occupy part of the first floor of the building, and the rest of the temple occupies all of the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors. The third floor remains a chapel for local congregations, and the second floor continues to house

5440-442: The temple on November 12, 2008, to protest the LDS Church's position in support of California's Proposition 8 . No vandalism against the temple was reported. In 2020, like all the church's temples, the Manhattan New York Temple was closed for a time in response to the coronavirus pandemic . The church's temples are directed by a temple president and matron, each serving for a term of three years. The president and matron oversee

5520-486: The temple. Many others experienced the temple through worldwide media coverage. Local church members who were called to help, assisted by church missionaries , gave the tours. Special guests during the open house included two members of the United States Senate and other national and local dignitaries. On June 12, 2004, a cultural "jubilee celebration" was held at Radio City Music Hall , entitled "A Standard for

5600-432: The ten-foot gold-leafed statue be placed on top of the steeple. Unlike the angel Moroni atop most church temples that face eastward, the angel Moroni on this temple points southwest, since the pre-existing building faced that direction. On November 12, 2006, it was announced that the fourth floor, which at the time housed classrooms and stake offices associated with the third-floor chapel, would be converted to become part of

5680-422: The term " water of Life " ( Greek : ὕδωρ ζωῆς hydōr zōēs ) is used in the context of living water , specific references appearing in the Book of Revelation ( 21:6 and 22:1 ), as well as the Gospel of John . In these references, the term Water of Life refers to the Holy Spirit . The passages that comprise John 4:10–26 are sometimes referred to as the Water of Life Discourse . These references in

5760-548: The traditional temple creation, garden, and world rooms (or Telestial Kingdom )) has wall-to-ceiling murals depicting the natural landscape and fauna common to the Hudson River Valley . The second endowment room (representing the Terrestrial Kingdom ) extends approximately one and one-half floors high and contains two unadorned faux art glass windows and Ionic columns gilded with white gold leaf highlights. Above

5840-418: The veil is a long horizontal art glass window with olive fruit and branches. The Celestial Room is perfectly square. Flanking its walls are 8 Corinthian columns (four half-columns and 4 quarter-columns), the capitals of which are lightly gilded with yellow and white gold leaf, plus 4 mirrors and two faux art glass windows with olive fruit and olive leaves surrounded by grapes and grape leaves. The height of

5920-450: Was killed by an armed mob . Hyrum Smith, his presumed successor, was killed in the same incident. Smith had not indisputably established who was next in line as successor to President of the Church. Several claimants to the role of church president emerged during the succession crisis that ensued. Before a large meeting convened to discuss the succession in Nauvoo, Illinois , Sidney Rigdon ,

6000-490: Was dedicated by Gordon B. Hinckley on June 13, 2004. Like all temples of the church, the temple portion of this structure is not used for Sunday worship services, though the building it is housed in does serve as a meetinghouse for Sunday worship. To members of the church, temples are regarded as sacred houses of the Lord. Once dedicated, only church members with a current temple recommend can enter for worship. President of

6080-530: Was extensive in comparison with most other recently completed temples. The temple was featured in most national newspapers, including The New York Times , The Washington Post , the Los Angeles Times , The Wall Street Journal , and USA Today , and in newspapers in Europe and Asia. It was also featured on CNN . An anti-Mormon protest attended by many thousands of gay rights activists converged outside

6160-529: Was in reference to the previously announced temple in Harrison, New York , construction of which had been delayed for several years. The need for a temple in the area became apparent during the previous decade when local church membership tripled to more than 42,000 members. A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held on September 23, 2002, with construction beginning soon after. The architect, Frank Fernandez, had worked on other large building projects for

6240-517: Was made after considering property values in the area. This was a similar issue to the Hong Kong Temple. The building to be converted into the temple was selected by Hinckley, who was enthused at the prospect of adapting the top floors into a temple. The original building was dedicated in May 1975 by church president Spencer W. Kimball and still houses a church public affairs office on the second floor and

6320-420: Was ordained the President of the Church. At the time, seniority was determined by the first date of ordination as an apostle. By that definition, Heber C. Kimball was the most senior. However, since he was called to the First Presidency, Orson Hyde , who was the next most senior apostle became the President of the Quorum. In 1869, Brigham Young changed the order of the seniority, placing Brigham Young Jr. , who

6400-510: Was the most recently called member of the Quorum, ahead of Joseph F. Smith . Smith had been in the Quorum longer, but Young Jr. had been an apostle longer. In 1875, Young changed the definition of seniority to be determined by the longest continuous term as an apostle. Since Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt had been temporarily removed from the apostleship during Nauvoo, they were removed from their position and placed in seniority, based on when they were reinstated as an apostle. That gave John Taylor

#769230